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July 15, 2009 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Rep. Brian Langley Named to National Committee on Budgets and Revenue

AUGUSTA – Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree has named Rep. Brian Langley to an influential committee on government finances at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The two-year appointment to the Budgets and Revenue Committee, which takes effect immediately, will bring Rep. Langley into contact with state legislators from around the nation to share approaches and solutions to financial problems.

“The NCSL is an outstanding and very effective organization, and I’m honored by this appointment,” said Rep. Langley (R-Ellsworth), a first-term legislator. “The Budgets and Revenue Committee provides a forum for legislators to share information. In this era of revenue shortfalls and very tight state budgets, I’m looking forward to sharing financial strategies with legislators from other states.”

Rep. Langley serves on the Legislature’s Taxation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Bureau of Revenue Services; taxes; tax exemptions and credits; Maine Residents Property Tax Program; property valuation and assessment; tax increment financing; municipal revenue sharing; unorganized territories; and tree growth tax issues.

The NCSL’s Budgets and Revenue Committee is one of 11 standing committees. It is responsible for protecting the states’ interests in federal decisions regarding fiscal matters, including annual action on the federal budget. It also examines federal and state policies with fiscal implications, including: funding for services and programs; budget processes; tax and revenue systems; legislative oversight; unfunded mandates; and state-local fiscal relations.

The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues; and it advocates for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies.

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